Nationwide, the number of farmers’ markets increased from 2,000 in 1994 to more than 8,600 in 2019, which, according to a report from National Public Radio’s The Salt, led to a major problem: There are too few farmers to populate the market stalls and too few customers filling their canvas bags with fresh produce at each market. Reports of farmers markets closing have affected communities from Norco, California, to Reno, Nevada., to Allouez, Wisconsin.
According to the NPR story

An increasingly popular agritourism activity – providing corn or other grains for children to play in – raises safety concerns that are detailed in a new resource from the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety.
Choking, allergies, animal feces, poor ventilation, inadequate supervision and crowding can occur, especially in repurposed grain bins. The one-page resource, “Safety Concerns: Grain Boxes and Play Bins,” suggests safer alter

While new farm tech innovations stir the imagination of fantastical possibility, one day, we'll wake up and wonder how we ever lived without them.
The post Agriculture and Amara’s Law Grow Hand in Hand appeared first on Growing Produce.

Research in commercial vineyards shows overthinning doesn’t impact wine quality and may be costing you higher returns.
The post Are You Throwing Money on Your Vineyard Floor? appeared first on Growing Produce.

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) has named Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, as the 2019 Ag Association Leader of the Year.
Zippy Duvall
This award recognizes outstanding achievement and excellence among senior executives who have made significant contributions to the agriculture industry in their roles with association or commodity organizations. Duvall will be honored during the 2019 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 10-12, in Kansas City, Missouri.
D

President Donald Trump recently signed a pesticide registration bill into law that should provide stability in that area for speciality crop growers.
The Pesticide Registration Improvement Extension Act of 2018 (PRIA 4) was signed March 8 after the previous version had expired in February. Essentially, PRIA authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to collect review fees from pesticide producers seeking registration for their crop protection products.
“Without (PRIA),

Fresh berry packing/shipping giant Driscoll’s has filed a legal complaint alleging patent infringement and “conversion of Driscoll’s proprietary strawberry varieties.”
California Berry Cultivars and a co-founder of the strawberry breeding company, Douglas Shaw, are subjects of the complaint.
The complaint was filed March 20 in the Sacramento Division of the Eastern District of California, and demands a jury trial seeking damages and other judicial relief.
Driscoll&rs

PanAmerican Seed has purchased the Kitchen Minis program from Dalina Genetics, a Danish breeder of ornamental and edible plants. The purchase includes breeding lines, as well as commercial products of compact tomatoes and cucumbers.
This announcement comes only a few years after PanAmerican Seed’s acquisition of Ex-Plant in January 2017. The new genetics from Dalina supplement PanAmerican Seed’s wide range of indoor edible peppers procured from Ex-Plant. The company can now offer a

Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Chief Science and Technology Officer, Bob Whitaker, Ph.D. will present the morning keynote at the Salinas Valley Ag Technology Summit at Hartnell College in Salinas, California, on March 27.
Whitaker’s keynote will address produce safety technologies and trends that companies need to address to ensure their produce safety cultures lift the industry beyond compliance to better protect their companies against outbreaks like the ones the industry has witnes

Since the 1940s, the responsibility for managing California farmers’ use of agricultural pesticides, and the substantial health risks they pose, has been shared by state and county regulators. The state’s Department of Pesticide Regulation registers pesticide products; county-level agricultural commissioners issue permits for the use of “restricted” pesticides – those that present significant human health or environmental concerns.
State law requires that when farme

A district judge ruled against a lawsuit challenging a sharp increase in the adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) in Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.
The post H-2A Adverse-Wage Lawsuit Tossed appeared first on Growing Produce.

Although current food safety measures include barring wildlife as much as possible, ecologically diverse farms may be safer, a Washington State University study involving 70 farms throughout the West Coast finds.
The post Food Safety Stronger in Production Fields with Natural Habitats appeared first on Growing Produce.

For some time, Amazon has been the dominant player in online grocery, but that lead may be starting to slip as brick-and-mortar retailers have been steadily winning back share in the competitive ecommerce race, says Nielsen.

The U.S. has many potato seed certifiers. Experts share the must-have elements to help you navigate the systems.
The post What are the Elements of a Good Seed Potato Program? appeared first on Growing Produce.

CBD (cannabidiol) produced via fermentation could hit the market early next year following a partnership between synthetic biology expert Amyris, and LAVVAN, Inc., a newly-formed company committed to âproviding the market with superior cannabinoids at significantly reduced cost.â

Signs indicate it might be time for stakeholders to turn up focus on consumer programs in lieu of the maintenance mode dictated by pests and disease.
The post Why Florida Citrus Industry Has a Vibrant Future appeared first on Growing Produce.

Pairwise, located in the Triangle area in North Carolina’s, and one of the fast-growing agriculture and food biotech companies, has licensed some advanced CRISPR genome editing technologies from two prestigious Boston institutions to expand its crop-editing applications and bring new foods to market.
Pairwise, which operates a site in Durham’s Golden Belt and greenhouses in Research Triangle Park, has entered into licensing agreements with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) an

New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute may soon be exploring new heights. The Chile Pepper Institute, located within the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, has recently been contacted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to develop a chile pepper plant suitable for a mission to Mars.
The Chile Pepper Institute was first established in 1992 and is the only international, non-profit organization to specialize in the research and develo

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is calling the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list, released March 20, both “inaccurate” and “harmful” to Americans. The report, issued annually, offers consumers an extremely biased view of various fruits and vegetables to avoid based on misleading and flawed reporting by the activist group.
“Mom was almost always right, especially when she taught us to eat our fruits and vegetables,” said US

While modern wisdom may favor launching fast and iterating quickly based on consumer feedback, the director of innovation at Endangered Species Chocolate says when it comes to packaging and branding it is better to slow down and invest in consumer research up front to ensure marketing messages effectively hit their mark.

Delegates wanting to discover the latest insights from PepsiCo, NestlÃ, BioCeuticals, Kirin and Danone, alongside a raft of other big brands, leading academics and industry experts at the second Healthy Ageing APAC Summit, have until March 29 to take advantage of our early bird registration rates.

Monday evening, March 18, U. S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly issued a memorandum of opinion in a case brought by the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) against the U. S. Department of Labor.
NCAE and Peri & Sons, a Nevada grower of fresh vegetables, brought the action following publication by the Department of the 2019 Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR). The AEWR is the mandatory minimum wage that farm and ranch users of the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program must p

Beloukha from Belchim USA aims to naturally burn down and help control a host of troublesome weeds.
The post New Sunflower-based Herbicide Approved For Use in Agriculture appeared first on Growing Produce.

Understanding pathogenic bacteria in agriculture helps us better appreciate what the produce industry faces when it comes to improving food safety.
The post The Challenge of Dealing with Contaminants in Vegetables appeared first on Growing Produce.

Smart Guided Systems is making available its commercially designed and manufactured Intelligent Spray Control System. The spray system has been in development, field-testing, and research for almost a decade at the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative.
The precision sprayer kit system uses a LIDAR sensor to create a digital representation including height, width, spacing, and density of each plant or tree as it passes, which is then used

Bulletproof360, Inc. (maker of Bulletproof Coffee) has named Cameron Kinloch (former CFO at Ripple Foods) as CFO, and Brian Watkins as the company's VP of ecommerce, reporting to Bulletproof president and COO, Anna Collins.

International trade a key talking point as more than 90 producers meet with representatives during U.S. Apple Association’s annual trip to Washington.
The post Capitol Hill Climb Worth the View for Apple Growers appeared first on Growing Produce.

While Florida and California accounted for 76 percent of U.S. production of field-grown tomatoes in 2016, greenhouse production and use of other protected-culture technologies help extend the growing season and make production feasible in a wider variety of geographic locations.
Some greenhouse production is clustered in traditional field-grown-tomato-producing states like California. However, high concentrations of greenhouses are also located in Nebraska, Minnesota, New York and other states t

Learn how to identify, the survival and spread, as well as management methods for this prolific pest.
The post Protect Vegetable Crop Vitality From Melon Thrips Menace appeared first on Growing Produce.

Are we approaching âpeak plant milkâ? Will âdesigner proteinsâ created via synthetic biology catch on? And should dairy milk serve as the nutritional benchmark for plant-based âmilkâ? Elaine Watson caught up with Ripple Foods cofounder Adam Lowry at the Natural Products Expo West show to find out.

While US household penetration of hummus has soared over the past decade, there is still a significant opportunity to increase consumption through new usage occasions, says Jason Levine, who has joined the nationâs leading hummus brand Sabra as chief marketing officer (CMO).

On the heels of launching its Fusion blend just a few short months ago, Loudon, New Hampshire-based lef Farms (pronounced “leaf”) is excited to introduce another unique leafy green to the market, called Crisp. Touted as a crunchy new alternative to traditional Romaine and Iceberg lettuce, Crisp combines a robust, crispy bite with a fresh, bright flavor – making it an ideal way to add texture and flavor to sandwiches, or use as the foundation of a deliciously crunchy Caesar

Belchim Crop Protection USA’s (Belchim USA) Beloukha, a new biodegradable herbicide, has received approval for EPA registration, and has been submitted to all states for registration across the United States.
Beloukha is a sunflower bio-based, non-selective, broad-spectrum, foliar-applied herbicide that acts exclusively by contact, attacking and destroying the cell membranes of the plant epidermis causing rapid tissue dehydration. Made up of 51.98% pelargonic acid, a naturally occurring su

Beverage startup mogul Lance Collins is making his first shift into food after snapping up small snack firm Core Foods for a namesake to continue the 'legacy' of his recently sold water brand, and says he's on a mission to create a $100m brand within four years.

Donation given to University of California, Riverside will fund 2.8-acre screened structure designed to help safeguard trees against greening threat.
The post $3.5 Million Gift to Protect Valuable California Citrus Variety Collection appeared first on Growing Produce.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Vidalia Onion Committee announced today that the pack date for the 2019 Vidalia Onion season is 8 a.m. Monday, April 22.
“With tremendous consideration after consultation with the Vidalia Advisory Panel, industry experts from the University of Georgia and crop assessments from the Georgia Federal State Inspection Service, I am pleased to announce April 22 as this year’s pack date for the official state vegetable of Georgia, the Vidal

The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development is now accepting applications for its latest round of value-added grants. The Value-Added Grant Program is designed to help retain, expand, attract or develop agricultural processing in Michigan through targeted investments in technology and equipment, feasibility studies, food access and regional food systems. Grant proposals must be received by 3 p.m. (EST) on May 8, 2019.
The maximum grant award eligible is $125,000 per propo

Mondelēz International is already a powerhouse in snacking (parent company to Ritz, Wheat Thins, Triscuit, and allergen-friendly brand, Enjoy Life Foods). In November 2018, however, the company decided to pour more efforts into its snack business strategy with the creation of an innovation and venture hub called SnackFutures.

Digital portal designed to help visitors identify plant predators and pathogens and learn critical information about management methods.
The post USDA Plugs in New Pest and Disease Identification Web Page appeared first on Growing Produce.

The Indiana State Fair and Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, have identified the Featured Farmers being honored at this year’s Indiana State Fair. In its fifth year, this program celebrates and helps put a face on Hoosier agriculture by connecting consumers with farmers. The 17 farm operations represent all regions of the state, showcasing different agricultural products throughout the 17-day Fair, Aug. 2-18.
“Our Featured Farmers program introduces fairgoe

Government agencies remove several more areas of interest around Miami-Dade County from quarantine status once sparked by the voracious invasive pest.
The post Giant Snail Threat Shrinking in South Florida appeared first on Growing Produce.

One year into a long-term research project, Kirsten Brichler thinks she might be moving toward a familiar conclusion.
“I need more data,” Brichler said, “but what I found last year seems to back up what farmers have probably been hearing for the last several years – broadcast, pre-planting insecticides not only don’t inhibit slug populations, they actually encourage their growth.”
Agricultural entomologist Brichler, an Indiana native who is seeking a master&rs

Growers Edge Financial, Inc. (Growers Edge) now provides solutions that strengthen the entire agricultural ecosystem. Based on the Growers Analytic Prediction System (GAPS), Growers Edge unveiled March 19 a lineup of fintech solutions for growers, agribusiness, distribution partners and institutions to accelerate the adoption of agtech innovations while managing risk.
“Growers Edge has created an unmatched network of technology, insurance and farm partners to help improve fa